Cowgirl For a Change
by Theif's girl
Summary: Ranger and Joe get into a... discussion that involves Steph and she doesn't like what she hears. Time for a change and she ends up in... well read and find out. Review please!
1. Chapter 1 Bombshell's Future

Disclaimer: The anything you recognize from the Plum series is from there. I am not looking to make a profit

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><p>The car I was currently using began stalling on me. "Damn it." I murmured softly, I didn't want to wake my stable had, who was a trainers kid, and knew how to handle horses.<p>

That's right. Stephanie Plum, the Bombshell Bounty Hunter became a horse person. I never would have gone close to these animals two years ago. Now everything has changed. They are the things that keep me going on my darkest days. The only reason I was in Colorado in snowstorm was because of Joe Morelli and Ricardo Carlos Manoso. Those two are enough to drive any woman crazy!

_~Flashback~_

_I walked across the parking lot of Shorty's, Lester and Bobby wanted to celebrate a successful distraction, or so they claimed. It was cold so Bobby gallantly handed me his jacket before we got inside._

_Joe and I were on an off stage and Ranger was still making quite a few advances on me. Strangely enough Ranger didn't wasn't there for the distraction that evening. _

_When we reached the door Tank was standing there, apparently looking to send us back out into the cold. I didn't know why and picked the perfect moment to shiver, and then cough. "Shit Bomber, go ahead, don't want you catching a cold. Ranger would have my ass."_

_I smiled up at Tank and we went to sit in a booth close to the bar, so the guys could easily get drinks. Lester ordered for all three of us and then Bobby went of to get drinks. _

_The pizza came out fifteen minutes later when they came Ranger in the lead, then Tank, and finally Joe. I ducked when Ranger looked in my direction. Somehow sensing that I shouldn't be seen for a little bit. _

_~End Flashback~_

The horses were getting restless and snapped me out of my daze. We needed to get to the next stop and I had to get these horses some exercise. I started the truck again and this time it started, thankfully.

It took another hour to get to the barn in Ohio, the one we were to be staying in. Half way there I slipped back into my flashback.

_~Flashback~_

_The evening was going rather well, Shorty's dose make really good pizza. The conversation between Ranger, Tank and Joe seemed to be becoming very heated. The argument was beginning to become very clear, or a least the focal point was, me._

_You couldn't really hear all the comments from their corner booth but one was loud and clear. "Why Morelli? Are you scared that she will choose me over you?"_

_Ranger was pushing him to outrage. That's what he was wanting, an outburst. Joe lunged for Ranger over the table and I had had enough of their idiotic ways. I stalked over to their table and slapped both of them upside the head. _

"_From now on neither of you will be able to stalk claim on me. I'm leaving. Ranger do me a favor and don't try to track me, alright? That would make my life a hell of a lot easier. Now just go back to your jobs and don't worry about poor little Stephanie anymore. I just solved your little argument, scurry home, but don't bother going to my apartment, because I won't be there. See you in a few years."_

_I stormed out of the door, ignoring the silence that echoed behind me. I was actually prepared for this, had been for a long time. _

_I went straight home and gathered the things I'd be needing. I took out all of the bugs from my clothing and purse the headed downstairs to talk to Dillon._

_We had worked this out so that I had a car with no bugs on it and began driving._

_~End Flashback~_

I sighed as the headlights shined on the stable; we were at our lodgings for the night. "Adam, wake up buddy. I need your help getting the horses out." I spoke quietly while shaking my companion to wakefulness.

"Alright Steph, lets get'em out." The little boy with shaggy blond hair and the prettiest green eyes responded, barley awake.

By the time the horses were in their stalls Adam was out like a light. I chuckled and moved him to a pile of hay so he could sleep. I went to the light switches with a flashlight in hand and turned off the lights. I then walked over to a pile of hay and fell into a light sleep.

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	2. Chapter 2 A Very Long Drive

Disclaimer: Any characters from the Plum series are from there. Adam and the plot are mine though.

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><p>In the morning, as soon as the sun was up, so was Adam.<p>

"Steph, we gotta get the horses out for a little and be on the road, they are expected today so we have got to get moving." He said in earnest.

I stretched then chuckled. If news got to the people on the ranch that Adam kept me on track I would never hear the end of it, the guy had the makings to become an amazing rider and trainer, like his mom, but he could be rather bossy, for and eight year old, of course.

By the time we were back on the road our stomachs were demanding food, so we had to get off, again.

The driving soon became rather boring, and by rather I mean unbearably boring. So Adam, being raised on a ranch and loving country music, had found what had to be the ONLY country station in Pennsylvania. Sadly enough, these days, I absolutely love country. I can actually understand these people's points of view. I mean when someone you love is being an ass, can you help it? No, can you sing about it? Yeah man!

So another boring day on the road, or at least it was boring until around 4p.m. That was when we crossed the border of the state that we were headed for, New Jersey. And of course, we weren't bringing horse for any place other than the Trenton Police Department, just my luck, of course.

I was the one whose name was pulled out of the hat to drop off four new horses for the Trenton P.D. This made a lot of sense, considering I knew how to get around Trenton, being raised there.

~_Flashback~_

_The car that Dillon had passed off to me died, in the middle of a huge snowstorm. I was in the mountains too; god must have had tons of fun planning my future. I mean come on, I was the Bombshell Bounty Hunter, before that I was laid off a job as an underwear buyer, and now I am in the middle of a blizzard in the mountains of Colorado!_

_All the sudden the snow stopped for a second and I could faintly see a building in the distance. Walk Steph, you can do it! Just walk to the building so you can live to see the dawn of the next day! _

_Step by agonizing step I saw the building take form more and more. 'It looks kind of like a barn', I thought,' huh, strange.' _

_When I got close enough to touch the building a door beside me opened and I was rushed into the warm air. I then promptly fell asleep._

_~End Flashback~_

I popped out of the flashback by the noise of enough windows rolled down to where you can't even hear yourself think. I looked over at the passenger side of the cab that we were using to pull the trailer of horses that had been raised and trained for a life of service. Joe Juniak had called in some favors and the ranch that I now work at fulfilled his request. I don't know why I just know that we did and I was nominated to drive there, and Adam volunteered to go.

The windows were just starting to get on my nerves when we passed a sign that said Trenton was in 35 miles. Adam started jumping up and down, ready to get out of the cab. I was right there with him, but wasn't jumping up and down in my seat.

I began rolling the window up when Adam spotted a very nice car. He was so busy looking at the car he leaned out the window to get a better look. "Adam! Sit that butt of yours down. It wouldn't be a nice feeling to have your head crash onto the pavement. Butt in the seat, now!" I said never removing my eyes from the turnpike, until the end.

"Sorry Steph, it's just this really nice car passed by and I had to get a better look at it!" he pleaded to me with an angelic look on his face. I had to laugh at it, the boy was truly sorry.

"All right boy, now tell me what kind of car it was. Anything I would know?" I asked him. On slow winter days cooped up because of a blizzard or 10 ft. high snow drifts we would talk about cars. It was a topic we both enjoyed and it gave him a taste of freedom. Looking at those cars during the winter kind of reminded him of riding with a cool wind to your back and an entire landscape to be your own. It felt like flying.

"Well, it was a Porsche Boxster, black and brand spanking new!" He exclaimed. I think I almost fainted on the spot. There was only person in Trenton who owned a car like that, Ranger. The last time I saw his car had been right before I rode out of my lot in the car that Dillon had arranged for me as transport.

_~Flashback~_

_When I woke up I was surrounded by warmth and no part of me was cold. The air smelled like horses and hay. I woke up to a pair of starling green eyes. They seemed rather young and worried. The child immediately opened his mouth to ask a question._

"_Are you okay?" he asked me after a second of uncertainty. He had sandy blonde hair that you could tell by the color was completely natural, and that many women would kill to have. "My name is Adam; by the way, what's yours?"_

_When I answered my voice sounded unfamiliar and gravely, "I'm kind of thirsty and my name is Stephanie Parker." And that was how my new life began._

_~End Flashback~_

I blinked and found myself on the turn off for the Police Department. The radio was still on the country station and Reba's _Turn On the Radio_ was blaring. Somehow gave me the courage to park in the parking lot. I took a deep breath and unlocked the cars. Adam opened the door and ran straight into…..

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><p>HA HA a little cliffhanger there! Had so many ideas so you know the deal.<p>

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	3. Chapter 3 Confronting the Past

Normal disclaimer. Hope you like!

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><p><em>Adam opened the door and ran straight into <em>Eddie Gazarra and Frank plum. They seemed to be deep in conversation until they were hit by an excited eight-year-old's body.

"Sorry sirs. I didn't watch where I was going. I do that sometimes when I am very excited, as I am right now." Adam had reached the point of rambling. The last time I didn't we got a new cow.

_~Flashback~_

_It was a warm summer day and Adam and I were trail riding. We had brought a picnic for lunch and were just getting ready to stop when we heard the sound of mooing and a crack of a whip._

_For Adam, who loved animals to his core, this was unbearable. So being the sweet 7-year-old he was, rushed to save the animal from whatever cruelty was being handed to it. _

"_Stop! Please stop you are hurting the cow!" he cried out while jumping off the horse. Not an easy feat let me tell you._

_The man who whipped the cow was big, burly and 3 times Adams age. He looked down at Adam like an Aristocrat looks down upon their servants. "What do you want?" he asked roughly, looking at both Adam and me. _

_For most people Adam's age that would have had them running for the hills, but not this little fighter, he firmly stood his ground. "What I want, sir is for you to release that poor animal into my custody, so I won't have to report you for animal abuse." He said all of this with a firm face and I was most definitely proud of him. _

_The cow was released into the ranch's custody and from that day forth, Betty Lou (the cow's name) was taken care of very well._

_~End Flashback~_

Adam had begun to introduce us when the two men saw that he wasn't alone. I hadn't done anything to disguise myself, but I did straighten my hair, which had some effect.

Though my dad, being a good parent saw straight through that and closed the distance in between us and gave me a hug on the strong side, like he did when I had a bad day at school. Eddie recognized me too and came as soon as my dad was done, giving me a big hug too.

"Where have you been? Even Ranger couldn't find you. And it wasn't for the lack of trying. He even called in some military favors and couldn't find you. He hasn't given up either. Poor guy, he really loves you, you know that Steph?" Eddie took a deep breath before continuing. "He and Joe even got along for a time, looking for you. Then Joe, well he, umm…"

"He gave up on the search, found another woman, is now happily married with a kid and another one on the way." My dad supplied when Eddie stopped talking.

I did the thing that surprised them both and smiled, not a sad smile, but a joyous one. Their questioning looks made me explain. "I want them both to be happy. And if Joe has found that then I am truly happy for him." They were both satisfied with that and I was about to ask another question when I felt a pulling on my hand.

"Steph, we need to get the horses out of the trailer, they are getting restless. So am I, so can we go now?" Adam being the gentleman he was, politely telling me to get my ass in gear and get the job done. You just have to love the kid.

I smiled at him and nodded. I looked at the two men in front of me and asked, "Can we continue this conversation over food today? Right now I have work to do." They both nodded and I gave them my new number.

I took a deep breath and walked into the TPD right behind him. The room we walked into was pretty dim and I had to take a couple seconds to let my eyes adjust. When they were I walked to the front desk and looked at the man there. He was a chubby man in his early fifties and had been put in desk duty for some reason.

"Excuse me sir, I am here to deliver the new horses for the mounted police. Here is my identification and my partners too." I told him and put the papers in front of him, waiting for him to give me directions to the stables, we could take it from there.

He looked up at me and laughed. "You handle horses? Nah, you don't have enough meat on your bones, you would fall straight off. And you 'partner'? He is eight. Don't joke with the police, it will get you in trouble, more then you can handle."

At the end of his monologue I was laughing and slapped Adam on the back. My voice went dead serious on my first word. "This kid is eight but has more time with horses then you have had in your entire life. Also with your idiotic remark about how I would fall off a horse. I can ride bareback on a wild mustang and not get thrown, that's more than you can say. Now isn't it?" I looked at him in his shock, which was quickly turned into furry. Before he could say anything else I said, "Read the papers in front of you. It will tell you what you need to know. And if you don't want four horses lose in the parking lot you will tell me where the stables are."

He looked at me and began to read off directions with resistance. "I'm sorry, didn't catch that. Where do I make a right turn?" I asked in a rather polite voice and he wrote down the directions. I gave him a gracious smile and turned to look for Adam, who had wondered off.

I found him standing beside Lester and Bobby, part of the A team and the merry men. I was now officially screwed; I had hoped to prolong this meeting.

"Adam, we have got to put the horses up, they haven't been up since this morning. Come on boy, let's move it!" I added when he just stood still looking at me without moving.

He snapped out of his daze and retorted, "I'm coming, hold your horses, I'm coming." I smiled at Lester and Bobby.

"If you all want to know when you can find out call my dad or Eddie, I'm going to explain it and I would like it if it were only once. Now I have to work, so see ya!" I called the last part over my shoulder while I walked away. I was then promptly swept into hugs from the two men.

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	4. Chapter 4 A Unexpected Visitor

It had taken half an hour to get to the stables where the Trenton mounted police kept their horses. In that miniscule hour the greater-half of Trenton heard the news, Stephanie Plum, the Bombshell Bounty Hunter was back. The most interesting part of that was that she was driving a truck with horses. Steph, who had shown absolutely no interest in horses before she left, was driving four horses around. Actually that was the second most interesting part, the first being Adam, the little boy with her.

The news of the boy hit two men in their town rather hard, the two who had some type of a relationship before she left. Joe Morelli's first thought was whoever the kid belonged to it, if it was Steph's, it wasn't his kid too. He had heard enough about blond hair to determine that. He then started thinking about if she was alright and puzzling out where she had been before she came back.

Ranger's first thoughts were much different. The very first thing that came to his mind was relief, pure and simple. All he felt was relief, the most important person to him was still very alive and breathing, that she had come back from wherever in one piece. His focus was completely on her safety since he first got the news from his employees. He had always thought that he was impenetrable, that nothing could get through him. That theory was just proved wrong yet again. The little white girl from the Burg had proved that wrong more than once, even if she didn't know in, she was now the center of his universe. She had become his light and that scared him more than he would admit. He didn't even react when someone told him about the little boy, just thought that the kid was damn lucky to have his Babe in his life.

His focus wouldn't come after he heard, just the thought that he might be able to touch her, kiss her or even just see her again sent him into fits of wonder, something that the man with legendary control wasn't use to by any stretch of the matter.

Tank POV:

The two men in front of me continusly talked about the bombshell. When Ranger determined that he couldn't do anything except see her.

"Lets go get your babe man."

Most people didn't even know that I could talk that much; hell I rarely did unless something needed to be done pronto. Ranger looked at me in disbelief for a couple seconds than shook himself out of the stupor that was becoming normal today and began sorting the things that he had done. He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice me looking at him strangely until he walked past me to go to the lobby.

I had worked with him for years and I am one of the few people who knew that he and the Bomber had some type of screwed-up relationship, at least it was few until the two men in Bomber's life almost went at each other. If Ranger's enemies hadn't known that they could use Steph to get to him they did after that stupid stunt. I could still remember the day, fresh in my memory:

_Flashback:_

_He looked at the black car pulling, then down at his watch. Wasn't time for the meeting yet, so it had to be other employees. Great just great. Lester and Bobby got out then opened the door for Bomber. Shit, this wasn't planned, so it won't end well. Mostly since they were discussing her and the fact that the Cop thought that she was his, idiot._

_The distraction had to have gone well, considering how Bomber was looking. She was beautiful in her own right in jeans and a t-shirt, but for these jobs she sure knew how to play her assets. I still don't understand how Ranger can stay in the same car as her and not take her, considering the sexual tension between them. Hell even after she blows up a car, they still have all the tension. _

_Come to think of it, that's one of the reasons I'm here tonight, the Cop saw how Ranger held her at her most recent fiasco and didn't like it one bit. Don't blame the man though, if he ever looked at Lula like he looks at Bomber, I'd have to kill him._

_When Bomber got close enough I saw a light in her eyes that seems to be going out more and more every day. Her fight that made her so good at her job was shining in her eyes, so that meant the distraction went wonderfully. By the time the group got to me I was ready to turn them away. _

_That was until she shivered. Damn it all! I had to let her in; Ranger would kill me if she got sick because of the cold. Then again it was no wonder that she was cold, hell the outfit she was wearing; I don't understand how she could walk in it. The fabric hugged ALL of her, or at least the little she wore. The shoes were something I didn't understand either. They were defiantly "FMP", no doubt in my mind. She isn't my type but I was getting harder by the second looking at those shoes and the long legs they showcased perfectly._

_I looked at her and said, "Get inside Bomber, if you get sick Ranger will have my ass."_

_She smiled up at me and said, "Thanks Tank."_

_Ten minutes later Ranger and Morelli arrived and we walked inside together. Ranger looked over at Bomber and she ducked, smart woman .Not even five minutes later the Cop was taunting Ranger and he was serving it right back. Somewhere along the lines it got loud enough to where she could hear, Hell, all of Shorty's could hear! She walked over to our table and told both of them off, it was damn funny._

_It might have been damn funny but she was losing the fight in her eyes and that wasn't good. When she stormed out both men who claimed to love her looked stunned. Ranger was the first to react and ran out the door and to his car. _

_Later that night I learned that she had left, without a trace, which was when life slid downhill, though I doubt that she knew that then._

_~End Flashback~_

As Ranger got his keys a person walked in, someone who ment a hell of a lot to him, Stephanie Plum.


	5. Chapter 5 Small Surprises

Normal Disclaimer.

Sorry for not updating in forever! I hope that you like the chapter and the next one will be up in a few days. Thanks for reading!

Also the fourth chapter has been altered, it's a long story but tell me how I can improve.

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><p>Ranger's POV<p>

My routine is always the same. Wake up at five, exercize for an hour; go back to my apartment on seven, where Ella has prepared a healthy meal for me. I then take a fast shower, eat, and then head down to the control room where I get an update on the accounts. Nothing has changed in that routine since I started RangeMan. When Stephanie Plum entered my life everything became more hectic.

I managed to keep a small amount of the routine the same after I met her. Not very much was the same when she was in my life, but I didn't mind. After doing so much for my country I never really let myself experience anything that would seemingly added meaning to my life. At the time I just figured that she would stop after seeing that bounty hunting wasn't as easy as it looked. I started out only doing it as a favor for Connie, but it turned into so much more.

My Babe did more for me than anyone in my life had, a woman with her looks and heart could do anything. Yet every day I became more to her, someone with angelic qualities, a heart large enough to help anyone in need. A woman like that could do so much more than an old army veteran who couldn't give her everything she needs, and yet she was always there, When he was accused of murder she called to see if he was okay. When his daughter was kidnaped she risked her life to protect a child she didn't know, for reasons to this day he still didn't understand. Hell she even helped him with the kids that had tried, and almost succeeded, in taking him down.

I owe her so much, and even now, I doubt that she would understand how much she means to me. I said some pretty stupid shit and she still trusted me. All until I had to let my temper get the better of me with the argument over a blown up car accident and she overheard every word. I never understood how she got in without Tank noticing, but hey, half the things she did I never understood what she was doing until she was halfway done with it.

So the night that she left I never actually go on what she said, about leaving, because I thought that she had to many strings holding her down in Trenton . I had always thought that she would never leave, but she surprised me. I called in multiple favors to try and find her, but no one could find a trace of Stephanie Plum. After a year and a half my mother set me up on a date with some strange woman who went to my elementary school. I was polite but made it clear that I wasn't interested in what she could offer me. My mother was disappointed but didn't try anything.

When I wasn't thinking of my Babe I was thinking of how to expand RangeMan, nothing else ever crossed my mind. When the two year mark passed I began thinking that she might not come back to me, and as much as I hated to admit it, the thought scared the shit out of me. So this morning when I woke up she was on my mind like she always is. I went through the day, trying to keep my mind away from Steph and having varying degrees of success,

By 17:30 hours I was ready to smack something because of all the paperwork that I had been swamped in for a very large portion of my afternoon. At that time I heard Santos and Brown getting ready to make a large announcement and went to shut my door. By the time I had my hand on the doorknob they were talking about a small boy with blonde hair and how he had ran into them at the station when they had turned someone in earlier that day. The door was almost all the way closed when I heard Brown holler something about a sexy woman being with him.

"And you won't guess who it was, like it was the most random thing that has happened in a long time. The woman was Stephanie Plum!"

After their announcement was met by a moment of silence until they all started hollering. My heart had stopped in my chest for a few minutes; I felt like the fucking Grinch after his heart grew, and let me tell you, it wasn't pretty.

One the men had a few minutes of hollering they started rattling off questions about my babe. Like where she had been, why she came back and who the kid was. Brown met my eyes and nodded at me after the question was asked. Tank walked over to me and the three of us entered my office while Santos told about the kid.

"How is she?" Those were the first words out of my mouth after I closed the door. I didn't mean to sound as desperate as I did, like she was the last string attaching me to the world. Both guys knew how I felt though, or at least the basics, so they ignored the plea that sounded clear in my voice. As though praying that she would be alright, and happy. Well maybe not happy but safe.

"He isn't hers. The kid, Adam, isn't hers. Though they banter like trusted friends can tell what the other is thinking. He is excited, a little ball of energy." He didn't answer my question though, just the one that had been asked in the control room.

"That doesn't answer my question though. Please man, I-I need to know." They winced when my voice cracked, something it hadn't done since puberty, but at this point I was beyond caring. The raw emotion in my voice couldn't be helped, not since I just found out that my Babe, MY Babe, was back in Trenton.

"I honestly don't know man. You need to figure that out yourself. I can't help you out there."

Tank looked at me and simply said, "Lets go find your Babe."

Right as I got my keys to go find my Babe there was a knock at my door and a person walked in. It wasn't just anyone though, it was a woman. One that I thought that I knew very well, but now apparently not well enough. She hugged Tank and then he and Brown left the room.

She wouldn't even look my in the eyes, it hurt like a bitch.

"Please don't be mad at me, Ranger." She looked at me with tears in her eyes.

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